Singer, Musician. She would gain fame with guitar playing and electronic recording genius Les Paul, beginning as a country artist under the name of Colleen Summers (Iris Colleen Summers). In the 1940s, Paul was seeking a female vocalist for an NBC program and she was one of those who auditioned. After selecting her out of the candidates. Paul changed her name (one story is that he found the name, "Mary Ford" while looking through a telephone directory and this became her stage name). Through his search for a sound, Paul discovered the "overdub" using the heads of a tape recorder. As a result, the vocals of Mary sounded like two singers backed by the over-enhanced guitar playing of Paul. The two wed in December, 1949. As "Les Paul and Mary Ford", they turned out songs such as: "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise', "How High the Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios" which all became hits. These, and other songs by the couple, came to be featured in albums and these are still selling today in C.D. form. For a time, they even had their own syndicated television series, "At Home with Les Paul and Mary Ford." Ford and Paul divorced in December, 1964. (bio by: John Perin)